Closure assembly



1951 w. J. THIES 2,541,971"

CLOSURE ASSEMBLY Filed Dec. 29, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 w. J. THIES 'JLOSURE ASSEMBLY Feb. 13, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 29. 1 945 Patented Feb. 13, 1951 U NI 'FED- STAT E S A T ENT. 6 F F'IC E CLOSURE ASSEIVELY" Walter J.Thies, Dayton, Ohio; MaryM' Thies, executrix of said .Walter J. Thies, deceased; as-

signor to Mary M. Thies AppIicatiOn- December'ZQ, 1945-;Serial No; 6381-37- 2' Claims.

This invention relates toaiclosure. assembly andmore, particularly to aflexibl'e sheetmaterial member, that is .r movahlymounted.

Anobject of. thisinvention is to. provide a sheet materialmember, suchas a: screen,. that 5 to the face ofthe mullion bar. l8, Asmay. best may betransparent, translucent or opaquatha't be seen by, referring toFiguree, one clip 24 is may or, may not permit the circulation of air mountedadjacent each end of the screen assemtherethrough, which, sheet ,material; member, is bly. Insteadof. hock-shaped clips, any other removably mountedinposition, having, at least suitableiretaining.means. may be used to. secure two ofthe margins continuously securedjin posithe margin of thescreen in position. tion. The. vertical mullion bars 22, areeach provided Another object of this. invention isto provide a with at channel-shaped member 26,. having the fiexibleflcl'osure,memberthatfis remova'bly secured flange portion. 28' secured. to the. face of v the along one-side, of jan op ening and snapped'into mullionbars. 22. The sides 30 of the channel.- positionhythe useofcont'inuous snapping memshaped. member. 26' are preferably arcuate and hers. along two opposite margins, holding the terminate in. slightly reentrant portions. The flexible member in position. sidesfiilare. preferably. made from resilient mate- Other objects and j advantages reside, in the rial, so asrtopermitla slight. yielding movement. constructicn o'f parts, vthe combinationthereof A. flexiblev screen. 40., Whichhas been shown and,th,e.. m0de,of operation, as willib'e'comemore made from screenwirafcr.preventing-the ingress apparentifrom the-following description; and egress of insects. andforeign articles and Referring to the drawings: bodies, has the top margin secured to a channel ieurel is.a' perspective View of aconventional shape v por n- 2,., h vin he inner flan e 44 woodjwind'ow frame'j prcvidediwithta' screen that arranged inflhofloke'd relation with the. free.- end. has'be'en. partially removed?andirollecl, ifio'ffthehook shaped clipmember 224. Further- Figure 21shows amodifiedwin'dow; which may more, in orderto hold the screen i pos o a be a steel casement" window, showing the screen piece of'angle sheet material 50; havi a o partially'removedj' flange abutting the faceof themullion bar. 88 Figure 3' is another modification wherein the. and the other fla e engagi r e'side 0f t e screen is securedalong'the-top and bottom marscreen Pr jects into the channel-shaped gins of the window, showing thescreen partially. m mb r. Memb rs and 50' are secured toremoved; ethe'r, many suitablemanner. If, for example,

Figure 4 is a perspective" view showing. the membersA'Z and 5.9 are meta11ic,.soldermay bescreen in position over'a window; used. The parts may thenibe sweat together, Figure 5" is, an, enlarged cross sectional View 35 01' e parts may i eld d together Suitable showing the screen .p'artiallyremoved; rivets may befused; so a swto hold member 42', the FiigureG discloses anupp'er cornerof thescre'en screen Mland member 50" together as a unitary shown in Figured structure. The Vertical, margins ofthe screen, Figure? 'disclose's'a" lower corner of the screen as showncin Figures 0- 1 are providd' shownin i i. 4o withaflangedmember Gdintegral witha bead- Figure 8 is a fragmentary cross sectional View like ribmzieXtehding p to'thebottom taken-substantially on-the-lin'e- 8-'-8 of Figure 5. ofthelscreen, there being onerib' along each In the drawings, the reference numeral I0 vertical margin of "the screen. The bead 62' is indicates a; conventonal. window frame made p s d d betWeen the 0f from Wood and utilizing double hung window, channel' membersextending along'the sides. of panes}, In ,,Figure 2 a metal. window frame; 52" the'window, the. walls 3fl"yielding sufliciently to" ha's been' shown; provided with"- a'ihinge'd; glazed permit the bead} 6 2 to'snap into'positionbetween' window: closure It: InFigure3f the schematic the walls 30: When the beads 62 have been frame; l6" has-beenshown; wherein the screen forced, into position from top to bottom of the is; mounted": horizontally; in a: manner thatpwill screen; thebe'ads 62 are held in position by the appeartmore; fully from'the' descriptionthat'ifolreentrant portions of the walls 30. lows; A channellike-member'lfl extends from one Thed'etails' of" the window screen have been margin ofthe screen to the other along the botshown in Figures 5 to 8 inclusive. The screen tom thereofi she'et'metal member lzmay'be assembly will be described in connection with a 65 positioned on the opposite side of the screen, so

2 metal: frame including the horizontal mullion bars I8 and Zitandthevertical mullion bar 22. The ehorizont almullion bar was provided with apair, of metallic. hook-shaped clips. 24 secured as to clamp the lower margin of the screen be tween members 19 and 12. Members and 72 cooperate to give the lower margin of the screen rigidity, so as to prevent bucklin of the screen along the bottom. The walls of the channel member H! abut the face of the mullion bar 20 when the screen i in home position.

In winter when the screen is not needed, it is merely necessary to pull the beads 62 out of the channel members and remove the top portion of the screen from the hook-like members 24 along the top, so as to permit the removal of the screen, so that it may be stored in readiness for use the following season. Upon being removed, the screen may be rolled into a coil or roll, as clearly seen in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 5. By selecting materials that have an inherent resiliency, the screen automatically forms a roll. The inherent curvature causes the screen along its margin to clin to the sides of the Opening when closed. When spring arrives, the screen may again be inserted by hooking the top of the screen over the hooks 24, pressing the ribs 62 between the walls 39, so as to place the screen over the window opening.

Although this screen has been shown for the purpose of illustration as a woven wire mesh screen used as a taut insect deterring closure, it could equally as well be made from any other fabricated screen or sheet material, as for example, a linen sheet member used in the window for ventilation, or it could be a transparent plastic member used as a storm window or storm door, or it could be a sheet metal member used in closin an opening, as for example, a bomb bay door in an airplane. sure assembly could be used as a closure for a port hole in a vessel and in numerous other places for various purposes. The screen may be placed either on the inside or on the outside of the frame surrounding the opening.

Members 26 and may be made from plastic molding material or from metal or any other suitable material. Likewise, the frame members of the screen extending above and below the screen may be made from metal or plastic material.

For some installations it may be desirable to have the channel members extend along all sides of the opening and to provide ribs along all sides of the screen member, so that the screen member is held in position throughout its periphery by ribs being seated in channels. The screen member may then be removed by removin the ribs laterally from the channel members. Furthermore, the screen may be mounted in position by reversing the operation, so as to cause the ribs to snap into the channels.

Furthermore, the beads or rib members may be attached to the sides of the opening and the channel members may be secured to the screen. If, for example, the beads or ribs were made from metal or some other rigid material, and the channel members were made from some resilient material, as for example rubber, the channel members could then be sufi'iciently flexible so as to be attached to the screen and be rolled with the screen.

Although the preferred embodiment of the device has been described, it will be understood that within the purview of this invention various changes may be made in the form, details, proportion and arrangement of parts, the com- Furthermore, the clobination thereof and mode of operation, which generally stated consist in a device capable of carrying out the objects set forth, as disclosed.

and defined in the appended claims.

Havin thu described my invention, I claim:

1. A flexible closure assembly for an opening surroundedby a frame, said closure assembly including a screen, means for removably attaching the screen to the top of the opening, said means including a hook member attached to the top of the frame and a channel member secured to the upper margin of the screen, one side of the channel member engaging the hook member, and means for removably securin the sides of the screen to the frame, said last mentioned means including a pair of flexible channel members havin reentrant yieldable flanges forming side walls of the channels, the slots between the side walls opening outwardly, said channels being secured to the sides of the frame, and a pair of continuous length rib members fixedly attached to the side margins of the screen, said rib members being removably seated in the channel members extending along the side of the frame, the rib members being removable from the channel members by pulling the rib members outwardly to thereby permit the removal of. the screen, the rib members when positioned in the channel members supporting the screen so as to provide an insect deterring closure for the opening.

2. A flexible closure assembly for an opening surrounded by a frame, said closure assembly including a screen, means for removably attaching the closure to the top of the opening, said means including a pair of interlocking members, one of which extends along the top of the frame and is fixedly attached thereto, the other being fixedly attached to the top margin of the screen, and means for removably securing the sides of the screen to the frame, aid last mentioned means including a pair of flexible channel .members having reentrant yieldable flanges forming side walls of the channels, the slots between the side walls opening outwardly, said channels bein secured to the sides of the frame, anda pair of continuous length rib members fixedly attached to the side margins of the screen, said rib members being removably seated in the channel members extending along the side of the frame,

the rib members being removable from the chan-.

nel members by pulling the rib members outwardly to thereby permit the removal of the screen, the rib members when positioned in the channel members supporting the screen so as to provide an insect deterring closure for the open- WALTER J. THIES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 'flle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

